


Lucidus

by Scylaire



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Anxiety, Attempt at Humor, Cuddling, First Kiss, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Professional Cuddler!Prompto, Strangers to Lovers, Thanks Ignis, no beta we die like men, you best believe there's some cuddling going on here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-06-04 22:20:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15156866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scylaire/pseuds/Scylaire
Summary: ‘No matter your age or your occupation - cuddling is a great way to relieve stress and increase your general well-being. Insomnia’s first professional cuddling service promises you guaranteed satisfaction and quality you can rely on.’“Do you consider this service?”“I’m sorry, what?”





	Lucidus

**Author's Note:**

> I read about this trope a while ago and always thought that it was such an adorable concept so of course I had to write something to go with it!  
> This story was originally supposed to be short and super fluffy, it ended up being... not short and angstier than planned. But I promise there's plenty of fluff to make up for that, so I hope you'll like this one!   
> (Also there's bound to be some mistakes in this but honestly it's 2am and I'm tired lmao)
> 
> Let me know what you think, it's as always greatly appreciated ^.^

Noctis startled awake at the feeling of someone gripping his shoulder, shaking it forcefully.

“Well good morning there. Class is over, thought I’d let you know.” The girl that sat next to him said, eyes glinting mischievously from behind her grey bangs.

He lifted his head, discreetly trying to check the notebook he’d been lying on for any evidence of him drooling in his sleep or the like. Thankfully it looked he’d been spared from that little embarrassment, the paper still being clear except for a few wrinkles, either from him lying on it or because he’d carelessly thrown it into his bag that morning. But also clear of any notes he probably should’ve taken. Oh well, he would just ask Ignis if they could repeat the stuff he’d missed later, preferably at an occasion that wasn’t an 8 am class. Who in their right mind would even sign up voluntarily for this kind of torture? Sure, education was important, that much he could comprehend but was it really 8-am-important?

Thinking back to the same morning he did have to admit that he felt a tiny bit bad for Ignis because honestly, how could he not. Noctis knew that his ability of sleeping through or flat out ignoring alarms was a serious test of patience at best, one that his advisor seemed to pass easily with only sighing maybe once or twice whilst attempting to pull the sheets out of Noctis’ grasp. He was pretty sure that the task of literally dragging the Crown Prince out of bed every morning wasn’t one that his advisor was supposed to do. But then again, he’d never actually read the contract himself so who knew.

Still, he was truly thankful that Ignis cared. They’d practically grown up together and it had always been expected from him as an advisor to look after the prince but Noctis didn’t take it for granted, even if sometimes he forgot about that.

There was no denying the fact that Noctis could get rather lonely sometimes and he was glad that there was someone who stuck around. It wasn’t like his life was uneventful or boring, that wasn’t the case at all, his schedule was filled to the top with important appointments and events he had to attend almost every day. Next to that, there was also university that kept him busy. There was technically no need for him to go to a public university, just like there had never been a need for him to go to a public high school. It was just his personal preference and gave him a small timeframe during the day in which he could feel almost like a normal citizen. He knew that his future was already cut out for him and whether or not he decided to study wouldn’t change it anyway. Despite that, it was nice to forget about those huge duties looming over his head and concentrate on something smaller and less intimidating, like an essay for example. Something that wouldn’t affect the whole population of Lucis.

When he’d first decided to attend a public university, he’d hoped that it would help him feel less lonely, even though his hopes hadn’t exactly been high after not making any real friends after his time at school. Most people that had wanted to be his friend had really only wanted to befriend his title, not him as a person. The others were just too shy or intimidated to talk to him and chatting up people had never come easy to him as well so the whole situation had just been unfortunate and difficult.

University had then proven to be almost the same. He _did_ manage to meet some people this time around but mostly everyone just seemed to do their thing and he was doing his thing. Or trying to, for that matter.

One night, the feelings of being alone and scared of the future had become too much and he’d opened up to Ignis. Even though Noctis fully trusted him, it hadn’t been as easy as he’d imagined because his feelings were something that hardly anyone ever asked about. They were just _there_ , sometimes a little heavier, sometimes a little lighter on his shoulders. Being alone when they threatened to crush his shoulders was hard.

Ignis had been a lot more understanding than he’d expected and they’d talked a lot that night. The advisor couldn’t make his burdens disappear either but the knowledge that talking about his problems was okay had lifted a huge weight off of Noctis’ shoulders for sure.

By now he’d managed to leave the lecture hall he’d sat in for far too long and was walking towards the entrance. He looked out the glass doors and couldn’t spot Ignis who was supposed to pick him up, all he could see were raindrops that splattered against the glass loudly. Normally he would’ve waited outside but the current weather quickly made him reconsider and he decided to just stay inside for a couple more minutes.

After checking his phone, he distracted himself by reading the blackboard, noticing lots of events and parties that were happening soon. He sighed. There was no way he could attend any of them, not with his packed schedule and his lack of social skill. Then, another thing else caught his eye. Right next to a list with students offering tutoring lessons was a flyer advertising something that didn’t fit in with everything else at all.

 _‘Cuddle Buddy’_ it said in bold letters, with ‘ _Your best address for professional cuddling!’_ right underneath. He squinted at it, making sure that he hadn’t lost his ability to read because _what the actual fuck was that_.

Curiosity quickly got the best of him and he grabbed one of the small pamphlets, wanting to know how one could cuddle professionally and make money from it. Maybe this was also just some exceptionally clever innuendo he was missing.

Just as he was about to read the small text titled with ‘ _The Benefits of Cuddling’_ on the first page, a familiar black car parked in front of the building. There was his cue to go. Without thinking he shoved the small pamphlet into his bag and walked outside, cursing quietly at the feeling of raindrops mercilessly raining down on him, making him pull the hood of his pullover over his head.

Before he even got the chance to sit down properly and put his seatbelt on, he was already greeted by Ignis who was eyeing his wet shoes. “How was your morning, your Highness?”

Noctis resisted the urge to tell Ignis that there was no reason for him to be formal and that he preferred being called by his name whenever possible. He’d told his advisor plenty of times before and knew by now that it was just a habit. Ignis spent a lot more time at the Citadel than Noctis himself nowadays so it was understandable.

“Alright, except for the fact that I had to get up in the middle of the night,” he replied and hoped that Ignis wouldn’t ask more questions regarding his class that he’d slept through.

The man sighed. “There’s always the option to go to bed at a reasonable hour.”

This conversation had already become painfully familiar. “I know, I know. There’s also the option of not taking classes that start so early though.”

After that Ignis chose to remain silent, concentrating on the traffic instead, quiet music and the sound of rain against the window being the only background noise.

“I brought new reports you should read through this week. I advise you start today, it seems to be quite a lot this time and your schedule this week doesn’t give you lots of free time.” Ignis said as they waited at a traffic light.

Noctis supressed a groan. Ignis might be understanding but he’d always been resistant to Noctis’ whining. “About Niflheim again? I didn’t understand a word last time.”

“I can help you go over them if you wish. There are also some notes I took, though I’m not sure how much they help.”

“Sounds good. Can we start after dinner?” He wasn’t eager to read about Niflheim yet again but the sooner they’d start, the sooner he could return to curling up on the couch and playing video games.

“Of course,” Ignis agreed. The drive back to Noctis’ apartment was once again filled with silence after that, instead of Ignis asking more questions. Noctis was grateful that the man seemed to sense his tiredness and decided to cut the conversation short, not even warning him when he leaned against the window and let the soft sound of rain lull him to sleep.

 

***

 

The warm shower Noctis took right after peeling off his wet clothes could very well have been a blessing from the Astrals themselves, he decided. The hot water running down his back felt heavenly and didn’t fail in easing the tension in his shoulders from being hunched over for so long immediately.

While he was massaging shampoo into his hair, his thoughts drifted back to the ad he’d seen on the blackboard back at university. Even though the concept of hiring someone and paying them for cuddling seemed insane to him, he couldn’t help but wonder. What did those people even _do_ during appointments? Just… lay there and cuddle? Even though they were complete strangers? Wasn’t that bound to be incredibly awkward and uncomfortable?

Physical attention wasn’t something he got often from other people. He lived alone, after all, with Ignis being the only person that visited him and their relationship had never gone beyond the occasional friendly pat on the shoulder or a hand rubbing down his back. Sure, people touched him, they did it all the time – There were stylists that fixed his hair or his clothes, women that danced with him whenever he had to attend a ball at the Citadel and other minor stuff like that. But all of that wasn’t really something he could consider close contact and nothing compared to something like straight up cuddling a person. He’d gotten hugs from his father when he’d been younger but now that had become a rare occurrence. Noctis couldn’t even remember when he’d last had a proper talk with his father, one that didn’t revolve around Lucis, Niflheim or how well he was doing in his studies.

The thought of his studies reminded him of Ignis who was most likely waiting for him so they could start dinner. With a sigh, he turned the water off and stepped out of the shower where the cool air immediately made him miss the steaming hot water from before. Honestly, he wanted nothing more than to take a long, nice bath and an even longer nap right after that but at the same time he knew that he couldn’t just do as he pleased, at least not right now.

After drying himself off and putting on comfortable clothes he could lounge around in, Noctis grabbed one of the fluffy towels and used it to dry his hair that was currently leaving drips of water all over the bathroom floor.

As if on cue his stomach growled, remembering him of how hungry he really was. It was no wonder, he hadn’t eaten anything since lunch and could use a proper meal right now, preferably something other than ramen but he knew that the chances of Ignis serving him something with _absolutely no nutritional value_ were extremely slim.

The first thing he noticed upon approaching the dinner table was that Ignis was already sitting there, studying a pamphlet as if it were an extremely important document. But it wasn’t just any pamphlet, it was the goddamn _Cuddle Buddy_ pamphlet that he’d taken at university. Noctis cursed himself. He didn’t even know what was in there himself! It could be some sort of strange cover-up for an escort service or something _not suitable for a prince like him_ for all he knew!

All these scenarios ran through his head at light speed, each of them followed by an imaginary Ignis scolding him for taking it with him in a place where everyone could see. Instead, Ignis only looked up at him with a thoughtful look on his face as Noctis sat down.

“Do you consider this service?” The man across from him asked, having gone back to reading one of the passages.

Noctis almost choked on the forkful of pasta he’d just shoved in his mouth. There were many outcomes he’d thought of but this certainly wasn’t one of them. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I must say, I’m intrigued. I never heard of anything quite like this before. Have you not read it?”

“No, I haven’t!” Noctis exclaimed loudly, “I picked it up while I waited for you and took it with me because it just seemed… strange? But I haven’t gotten the chance to look at it yet. Never finished reading it.”

Ignis looked up at him again before laying the pamphlet down in front of Noctis. “You should.”

If he was being honest, Noctis hadn’t really planned on ever taking the pamphlet out of his bag again. He probably would’ve left it there until it joined all the other crumpled up documents and notes at the bottom of it that would never see daylight again. It was kind of interesting, sure but he didn’t see the point in wasting his time reading something that was some kind of huge joke or misunderstanding on his part anyway.

But then again, if Ignis suggested that he should look at it again it couldn’t be that bad. Or inappropriate, whatever. So Noctis set his fork down and picked the pamphlet up, not before rolling his eyes at the other man.

His eyes were immediately assaulted by the bright title again, the name _Cuddle Buddy_ making him chuckle a bit. They really went all out with this. Right underneath it there was a line that read _‘Do you ever wish to talk to someone who genuinely listens?’_

Did he wish to pour his heart out to some random stranger that would _pretend_ to listen so long as they got paid for it? And get a great insider-story about the Crown Prince too, while they were at it?

No. No, he didn’t.

“Do you honestly think this is legit? Seems a bit shady to me. I mean, everyone can just call themselves a professional cuddler, what’s that even supposed to _be?_ What do they _do_?” He asked, looking at Ignis almost accusatorily, “Don’t say cuddling.”

The other man just sighed. “Perhaps you should make an effort reading it before you judge. It’s all explained in there.”

Noctis knew that Ignis was right – He shouldn’t jump to conclusions like that, labelling something he didn’t even know as being a rip-off. On top of that his curiosity hadn’t faltered a bit, it might have even grown stronger with Ignis – The person that was supposed to tell him whether something was safe for him or not - acting as if this was some kind of holy grail. Still, it was fucking _weird_ and not even Ignis could change his mind about that.

But one look couldn’t hurt, right? He’d just read it, show Ignis that he could be considerate while at it and after that everyone would be happy.

“Fine,” he huffed, letting his gaze roam over the page in front of him.

 _‘What is professional cuddling?’_ Was the next title with a short text and some kind of list underneath it. Perfect, just what he’d been looking for.

_‘No matter your age or your occupation - cuddling is a great way to relieve stress and increase your general well-being. Insomnia’s first professional cuddling service promises you guaranteed satisfaction and quality you can rely on.’_

Noctis skipped the next few lines that explained the psychological effects and benefits of cuddling, more interested in what they actually offered. The next thing was the list that seemed to consist of activities one could request, which were a lot more than he’d suspected. His first thought when he heard the word cuddling was just that – lying in bed together, maybe sitting close to each other – yet the list was a lot longer than that.

There were activities such as going to the cinema, hiking, getting dinner together and lots more. It sounded a lot like activities that were suitable for a proper date and maybe that was exactly what they were going after.

At the end of the list was a bold text, standing out amongst the other lines. _‘All dates are strictly platonic’_ along with _‘We don’t offer any sexual_ _services’_ was written there. So, this really didn’t seem to be quite as questionable as he’d first thought, thank the Six.

When he looked away from the text he was met with Ignis eyeing him expectantly.

“Alright, I admit it doesn’t sound too bad,” Noctis stopped for a while before continuing, “But still, isn’t it kinda weird to just… hire someone for all this? I mean, you might as well talk to someone you know rather than someone who gets paid to listen and pretend to be interested in you.”

“Some people might find comfort in strangers and in the fact that they don’t know them the way other people do,” Ignis replied, fixating Noctis with his gaze.

Even though the thought of opening up to a person that was paid to listen and accompany him was still kind of bizarre, Noctis couldn’t deny that there was a certain appeal to it, especially now that he knew that this service was legit and not a scam. Even Ignis approved it, which said something.

It all reminded him of the times he’d wished for someone to talk to, someone that didn’t know him as a prince. Escaping reality for a while, pretending to be a normal citizen, laying down everything he had to carry for a while – Suddenly it didn’t seem so impossible.

“Forgive me if I’m being inquisitive but I think it might be beneficial for you. Of course we’d have to have a closer look at this service first, if you do decide to try it out.”

He felt caught. “Even if I did agree – which I don’t, by the way – we both know it wouldn’t be possible. Whatever I’d tell them would be all over the news the next day.” Noctis said, retreating a bit, not feeling so confident all of a sudden. He knew it was pointless. Ignis could see right through him.

“That should be none of your concern.”

 

***

 

“You’re joking, right?”

“I wish I was! Trust me, I really do!”

Noctis had been training with Gladiolus when his phone rang and he excused himself to pick it up, welcoming any break he could get during his training sessions. And also because according to Ignis, it was mandatory for him to always answer the calls he got since they could be important. Noctis’ laziness and general aversion towards talking to people on the phone prevented him for doing this more often than not but Ignis didn’t have to know that.

This time though, the green accept-button might as well have been sent straight down from the heavens because he’d already been dripping with sweat and they hadn’t even properly started yet – Gladio’s words, not his.

 _“Your Highness, there’s an appointment scheduled for you tomorrow afternoon. I’m afraid we will have to go over the rest of the reports the day after.”_ Ignis said, the turning of pages audible in the background. The guy was probably rescheduling the entire week if Noctis had to guess.

Over time he’d learned not to question every change that had to be made and just go along with whatever had to be done. There was no way around it, after all.

“Yeah that’s fine, what kind of appointment though? I thought there weren’t supposed to be any?”

There was a suspicious amount of silence before Ignis spoke again. _“Well, I’m sure you can recall our conversation we had about the professional cuddling service. They barely had any appointments left on such short notice so I wasn’t able to choose a better time.”_

“Hold on, I never agreed to this!”

 _“That might be true but as your advisor I decided that it would be beneficial for you, as I said before. I can tell you about the details once you get home.”_ Was the last thing Ignis said before he hung up again. Noctis could tell that he was trying really hard not to let his smile be audible as he pulled the infamous _as your advisor_ card.

Of course, Gladiolus hadn’t wasted any time asking what had Noctis so baffled and Noctis had told him basically everything since he’d been sure that Gladiolus would support him in his decision that this whole cuddling thing was absolutely not necessary.

He’d never been so wrong.

Right now, Gladiolus was howling with laughter and struggled to stand up straight, holding onto his practice sword in order to not double over.

“You can’t tell me Iggy’s paying some poor soul to cuddle you.”

“I told you I’m serious – Hey, what do you mean by poor? I know people that would _kill_ just to shake my hand!”

Gladiolus had calmed down a little by now and resorted to wiping away the tears underneath his eyes. “Keep telling yourself that. You have to admit, this is hilarious.”

“I’m glad you find this funny.” Noctis replied, getting more irritated by the second.

“But to be honest this might not be such a bad idea.”

Had everyone lost their goddamn _minds_? “Don’t tell me you actually support this. Even the thought of it is weird as hell.”

“I’ve done weirder things.”

“I don’t think I wanna know.”

Gladiolus chuckled. “No but really, think about it. Iggy’s barely ever wrong when it comes to what’s good for you. Just go along with it. If it’s really as bad as you think it’s gonna be you just tell him that it made you uncomfortable. But you should at least try it once. See it as… I don’t know, broadening your horizon?”

Noctis hated that the other had a point. Experience had taught him that sometimes, Ignis seemed to know him better than Noctis knew himself and even if that wasn’t true, changing Ignis’ mind was close to impossible.

“You know, I actually counted on you to tell him that he’s being ridiculous.”

“Sorry to disappoint you,” Gladio said, but the smirk on his face betrayed him.

Noctis groaned, picking the sword he’d discarded on the floor up again with more force than necessary, deciding that nothing good would come out of this break.

“C’mon don’t be angry. Let’s hug it out!”

He cursed himself for not choosing daggers suitable for throwing when he’d had the chance.

 

***

 

Noctis picked at a loose thread on his sweatpants, glad to have found something he could busy his fingers with. He’d never thought that there would come a day where he would be nervous about someone spending time with him but here he was, sitting on the couch and looking at the clock on the wall next to him every few seconds.

Ignis had just left about ten minutes ago, which Noctis was glad about. As nervous and kind of scared as he was, he didn’t need Ignis to hang around and watch his every move. And also probably see him make a complete fool out of himself as soon as this professional cuddler guy arrived.

When they arrived after Ignis had picked him up from yet another 8 am lecture, he’d given Noctis some information about the appointment today. He was supposed to dress comfortably as they were going to stay in, think about what he’d like to do later and also _lose that frown_. Ignis had also been nice enough to tell him that whoever he’d hired was around Noctis’ own age and went by the name Prompto Argentum.

So now he sat here waiting, videogames stacked neatly on top of each other next to the TV because, seeing as this Prompto guy was his age, surely he’d like videogames, right? If he didn’t they’d have a problem because there was absolutely nothing else to do here, besides reading through some of the reports that were still laying on the table abandoned. Or, well, cuddling. That was the intended purpose of the company but he decided that he really didn’t need that kind of awkwardness. While that may be normal for Prompto who most likely did all this every day, it wasn’t normal for him, someone who couldn’t even remember the last proper hug he’d gotten.

The thread he was busying himself with got longer by the second and he could already hear Ignis fussing about having to fix yet another clothing item of his but he just couldn’t help it. Luckily it seemed like his sweatpants would live to see another day because in that moment the doorbell rang, cutting through the silence with a shrill sound.

After fighting yet another internal battle against the voice inside of him that yelled not to open the door because this could only go horribly wrong, he went over to the door of his apartment and managed to pull it open with slightly more force than necessary, telling that voice to shut up.

Noctis didn’t know what he expected or rather, who he expected. While he’d been worrying about every little detail, the question of how exactly the person Ignis had invited would look like had never crossed his mind. Well, there had been the fleeting thought of _I hope it’s not some creepy old guy_ but Ignis had told him that Prompto was around his age so that didn’t end up being a major concern.

Despite that, he’d still classify the guy that was standing in his doorway as being a major concern of his. Just on the opposite side of the spectrum.

Prompto was something between absolutely beautiful and downright adorable. There was no other way to describe him and Noctis already felt the nervousness he’d worked so hard to supress return in a heartbeat.

The clothes Prompto wore were similar to his, the only difference being the colors. Instead of wearing all-black his hoodie was of a burgundy color and his pants were grey. His whole outfit was so effortless and casual, he was wearing _sweatpants_ for the gods’ sake, yet he made it work.

Bright blonde hair framed his face perfectly, a few wayward strands falling in front of bright blue eyes that were crinkled from his smile that could melt glaciers, Noctis was more than willing to bet on it. The corners of his thin lips were turned upwards as well, directing Noctis’ gaze to his cheeks that were peppered with freckles strewn across the slope of his nose and up to his eyes.

Noctis was utterly _lost_.

If Prompto noticed that he was being stared at he didn’t let it show, instead immediately reaching out to grab Noctis’ hand, meeting his eyes with the same saccharine smile.

“Good afternoon, your Highness! I’m Prompto, nice to meet you.” He said, voice bright and clear.

“Uh… Please just call me Noctis, if that’s alright?” Noctis managed to stammer out, hoping that he didn’t come across as rude. He wasn’t sure whether he would be able to bear it if Prompto kept addressing him by his title.

If possible, Prompto’s face seemed to lighten up even more. “Sure, whatever you prefer! I just didn’t know if calling you by your name would be appropriate. I gotta admit I don’t get princes every day,” He responded, winking at Noctis.

Noctis prayed to every god that listened that they’d stand by him in this situation because _holy shit_.

Prompto, who didn’t seem to mind Noctis’ speechlessness at all only carried the conversation further. “So, what did you have in mind for today? It’s up to you.”

Noctis’ brain seemed to take an awful lot of time to process that question before he answered. “Well, I thought… gaming, maybe? Uh, I’m sorry if you don’t like that I didn’t really…” He stammered before catching himself beginning to ramble.

Prompto, bless him, seemed to finally catch onto his nervousness and decided to get him out of his misery. He’d probably noticed that Noctis was nothing more than a bundle of nerves and this point but he couldn’t bring himself to care right now. “Nah don’t worry, I love that actually! What games do you have?”

“Quite a few, I guess. I’ve set them up in the living room,” He answered, gesturing down the corridor. Prompto nodded and immediately began to follow him. Before they passed through the door, he winked at Noctis yet again, saying _‘After you’_ before putting a hand on the small of his back as if to guide him.

Prompto had been here for what, 5 minutes? Yet Noctis felt as if he was about to pass out at any moment, the only thing preventing it being his heart that was hammering in his chest as soon as he felt Prompto’s hand touch him. He felt heat rising to his cheeks and knew that he was blushing, trying not to look at the other whilst simultaneously wondering what he’d look like wearing the same pretty blush.

Noctis had to get it together. Fast. The other probably did the same exact thing to multiple people a day, he was _paid_ to do this.

“No way! King’s Knight? _You?_ ” Prompto exclaimed, pointing at the TV screen that showed the icon of Noctis’ favourite game.

“You know it too?”

“ _Know?_ Are you kidding? It’s the best game ever!” The look of excitement in Prompto’s eyes was nothing if not adorable, there was simply no other word.

Noctis’ chuckled quietly, finally feeling some of the nervousness vanish upon discovering that they seemed to have some mutual interests. “Glad we agree on that.”

“This is so cool. The Prince of Lucis has the same favourite game I do. Nobody’s ever gonna believe me,” Prompto said absentmindedly, sitting down onto the couch and grabbing one of the controllers that laid on the coffee table. “What are you waiting for?”

At that, Noctis picked up the other controller and sat down next to Prompto, leaving some distance between them because he didn’t want to seem like a total creep. That didn’t really make sense and he knew that – the other was working at a professional cuddling company after all – yet he still decided to keep his distance for now.

“Princes do like normal stuff as well, you know.”

“Well I sure hope you like being absolutely annihilated ‘cause that’s what I’m gonna do.” Prompto said in a teasing voice.

 

Noctis hadn’t remembered this game being so difficult. The game he’d spent hours playing, racking up quite a few highscores that weren’t too bad at all.

Then again, he hadn’t ever played it with Prompto before. Prompto, who was biting his bottom lip whenever a tricky part came up or his character’s health bar got critically low. Prompto, whose eyes seemed to sparkle from the constant smile he was wearing and who almost looked ethereal from the last sunrays of the slowly setting sun casting just the right amount of light and shadow over his face. All in all, he was the perfect distraction and somehow he managed to use that to his advantage, beating Noctis easily level after level.

After yet another victory Prompto cheered loudly and Noctis didn’t even think twice before pushing his shoulder jokingly, making him lose his balance for a second.

“Hey! What was that for?” Prompto asked, still laughing.

“You totally cheated and you know it,” He answered, even though he knew exactly that Prompto had done no such thing but he had to at least try and keep his pride. What was left of it, anyway.

The other only laughed harder. “Well someone’s a sore loser.”

“Am not.”

“Aw Noct, it’s alright, we can turn the difficulty down!”

Noctis was about to say that there was absolutely no reason to do that because he’d made it through games on nightmare-mode before, until he noticed Prompto’s use of his nickname, which threw him off the track yet again. It was silly, paying so much attention to something like that but he couldn’t ignore the way it made him feel. Warm and safe, somehow.

Prompto apparently misunderstood his sudden silence as disagreement. “Is it okay if I call you Noct? I’m sorry, should’ve asked before.”

The other suddenly seemed miles away from how lighthearted and cheery he’d been before, as if he’d remembered that this was a job and Noctis was royalty. As if he had to tiptoe around him, treating him like a piece of expensive porcelain that he could only admire from afar.

“No, no it’s fine don’t worry! It’s just that no one ever calls me that so I’m not used to it.” Noctis said hurriedly.

At that, Prompto’s smile found its way back to his face again, though there was still some guilt shining through. “Are you sure? You gotta tell me if something makes you uncomfortable.”

It was dangerous, feeling like this. Getting that fluttery feeling in his stomach whenever he met Prompto’s eyes or when the other smiled at him, all sunshine and freckles. He wasn’t supposed to, he wasn’t _allowed_ to and even if he was, it wouldn’t lead to anything. Prompto was here because he’d been hired to do so, because he probably had bills to pay, because this was his job.

Noctis just _maybe_ happened to have a small, stupid crush on him that would eventually fade away as soon as Prompto left.

“I’m sure. I would’ve told you otherwise, honestly. I uh… kinda like it, actually.”

He mentally cursed himself once more. That last part really hadn’t been necessary, despite it technically being true. If today continued like this, he’d end up making Prompto uncomfortable, not the other way around.

“Oh, I’m glad! I was scared that I’d have to go to jail or something for, I don’t know, being rude to royalty? Can they do that?” Prompto asked, snapping back to his old self. This guy really was a professional.

Noctis couldn’t help but chuckle at how odd that sounded. “I don’t think that’s a thing but I’m sure I could make it one,” He said, laughing at Prompto’s scared face.

“No need for that! I like my freedom, thank you very much.” He exclaimed. “By the way, do you know what time it is?”

Noctis picked up his phone that laid on the table in front of him to check the time, “It’s ten past seven.”

“Already? Man, I should’ve been gone ten minutes ago, I guess I’ll get going now.”

They got up and Noctis led him to the front door, once again assuring him that the whole name-thing _really_ was okay. Hell, he’d most likely let Prompto call him anything as long as he kept looking at him with that disarming smile. He didn’t voice that thought of course but still. As they said their goodbyes, he wondered how time had passed so quickly. Prompto had been here for almost three hours yet he felt as if he’d only been here for a few minutes.

“Have a nice evening! I’ll see you next week!” Prompto said as he shook Noctis’ hand before smiling at him one last time and walking out, closing the door behind him.

_Next week?_

***

 

“Ignis”

“Good morning to you too, your Highness. How was yesterday? I didn’t receive any complaint so I imagine it went well?”

Ignis had just arrived to finally finish going over the reports with Noctis which was certainly overdue at this point. Noctis eyed him sceptically as he hung up his coat and took of his shoes. When would he find it an appropriate time to inform Noctis about the fact that the appointment hadn’t been a one time thing?

“It was alright.” Noctis responded. Saying something along the lines of _It was amazing and also, I kinda have a crush on the guy you hired for me_ would’ve been a lot closer to the truth but he reckoned that even though Ignis did keep something from him, he didn’t deserve a heart-attack first thing in the morning. “But would you mind telling me why Prompto said that he’d see me _next week?”_

Ignis didn’t even seem taken aback by that question, as if it didn’t was a big deal at all. “I did book several appointments because they are booked out most of the time so it’s more convenient to do it that way. And also, I think you can profit a lot from the time you spend with Prompto and not with your royal duties for once. A balance, if you will.”

Noctis wanted to be angry, he really did because Ignis knew that he wasn’t the most extroverted person by any means and there had been a chance for sure that all this would’ve ended in a disaster. But he couldn’t, not after he realized that once again, Ignis was right and he meant well. His advisor wanted to give him a small timeframe where Noctis had the opportunity to get his mind off things that he was normally forced to spend close to every waking moment thinking about. A chance to spend time with someone doing what he wanted to do. He knew about the burdens Noctis was carrying, he’d listened to him speaking about them after all.

Ignis also knew that he couldn’t take them away, not now and not ever but what he could do was try to give him something close to what Noctis considered a normal life.

“I guess that makes sense,” He responded to Ignis’ explanation.

“Did you and Prompto get on well together?”

“Yeah, actually. We pretty much ended up gaming the whole afternoon, turns out he’s a fan of King’s Knight too!” Noctis said with perhaps a bit too much enthusiasm. Upon noticing this he felt heat rise to his cheeks, blushing furiously.

“Very well,” Ignis said, luckily choosing to not question the way Noctis was hiding his face.

 

***

 

Noctis tried really hard not to anticipate the next time Prompto would come over as much as he did. Most days though, his efforts ended up being fruitless. There were times when he caught his thoughts sneakily slipping away from the task at hand and instead ending up tangled somewhere between blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Other times, his mind was occupied with counting imaginary freckles, always ending up at a different number before he managed to stop himself.

Basically, he felt like a lovesick teenager straight out of some cliché romance movie and it was noticeable not only to him, but to others around him too, if the grins Gladiolus sent him during each of their training sessions were anything to go by.

While the whole week had seemed to go by at an agonizingly slow pace, the next appointment ended up rolling around much quicker than Noctis had been ready for. The realization hit him right as he was sitting on the couch yet again, distracting himself with his phone whilst waiting for Prompto to arrive.

Their session today would be at a later time than it had been last week and Noctis was starting to feel restless, impatiently switching between the apps on his phone, never succeeding in sticking to one. He’d just begun reading another news article that had managed to grab some part of his attention when the doorbell rang, making him jump and his nerves skyrocket once again.

As he made his way over to the front door he told himself to stop being ridiculous when there was technically no reason for it. He knew Prompto enough for them not to be strangers anymore and he also knew that talking to him was easy, too easy. Noctis just hoped that he’d succeed in not letting his mind run off today, for the sake of his own sanity.

The door opened to reveal Prompto, looking chipper as ever with the usual smile on his lips that rivalled the sun with how much warmth it radiated. Noctis immediately felt at ease, some of the tension gone, replaced by something that left him feeling as if he was floating.

Prompto stepped inside and greeted Noctis once again. This time though, he didn’t hesitate to hug Noctis, wrapping his arms around his waist and holding him for just a few short seconds. It didn’t last long, Noctis barely even realized it, yet it felt a lot more personal than the usual hug one would use in order to greet someone. Prompto didn’t just wrap one arm around Noctis’ shoulder or something like that, no, it was a lot closer.

Noctis stood there utterly stunned and speechless, not knowing where he was supposed to put his arms or if it was even appropriate to return the hug. Prompto had initiated it and this was his job so it most likely wouldn’t be a problem but still, Noctis found himself in a self-created dilemma because of a damn _hug_.

“How are you? Had a good day so far?” Prompto asked, acting as if Noctis hadn’t just created one of the most awkward situations in his life.

“Good, thanks and uh… pretty boring, to be honest. Did some stuff for university and that’s basically it.” He responded, proud of himself for becoming better at forming more or less coherent sentences in Prompto’s presence.

“Ugh, tell me about it,” the other groaned. “But I’m sure I can make your day a little less boring!” He then added, smirking in a way that made Noctis want to get closer to him again, despite what had happened before.

They slowly made their way over to the living room, where Prompto instantly let out a small squee, looking as if he had to hold himself back from jumping up and down from excitement.

“Gods, that view is incredible! I don’t think I’ve ever seen Insomnia from this high up!”

Seeing Prompto so in awe made Noctis’ heart flutter again. The other was definitely right, the view from Noctis’ apartment really was something else. Picture perfect even, with the way the sun was setting on the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, letting the city lights stand out more with help of the slowly approaching darkness, lack of clouds promising a sky full of stars.

Prompto turned to him, smiling brightly. “Would it be okay if I took some pictures from up here? I won’t show them to anyone, so no worries about your privacy. It just looks so beautiful out there.”

Only an impossibly cold-hearted person could deny Prompto anything when he smiled like that, Noctis was certain. Maybe that was just his soft-spot for the blond speaking but he nodded, opening the balcony door and stepping outside with Prompto in tow.

“Wow,” Prompto sighed, excitement painted all over his face. “I should’ve brought my camera but I guess my phone will have to do for now.”

He didn’t waste a second and began to take pictures right away, tapping the shutter button on his phone over and over again.

The gentle breeze of the oncoming cool night air made blonde strands fall over his face, messing up his perfectly styled hair. Prompto didn’t seem to care about that right now, instead taking in every detail about the view that stretched out before him, only acknowledging his immediate surroundings when he brushed some hair out of his face. It was as if he was in some other universe, one where nothing else was important besides sunsets and city lights.

Noctis didn’t look at the view at all.

Prompto continued to take pictures for a while longer before he turned to Noctis who had sat down on the bench that stood next to the balcony door, sitting down as well.

“Sorry, that was probably really unprofessional but I had to.” Prompto said, apologetic smile already on his lips.

“I don’t mind, you can bring your camera next time if you want to.” Noctis reassured. He’d really like to see Prompto photograph, he thought.

“For real? Thank you so much, that means a lot. But I think this is enough, it’s your time after all.”

Noctis didn’t know how to express that watching the way Prompto’s eyes lit up when he took pictures was quite alright with him as well without coming off like a total creep. There was probably no way he could pull that off, so he settled for a less risky answer. “Yeah so? It’s my time so I get to say what I wanna do, right?”

The way Prompto’s lips curled upward made everything so worth it. “I guess you have a point. Well, looks like I have no other choice than to bring it next time, then.”

Noctis chuckled lightly, “So you do photography?”

“Is it that obvious?” Prompto laughed, before continuing, “I’m actually studying visual arts but yeah, it’s a big part of that.”

“Sounds like it suits you.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah, it’s nice seeing someone being so passionate about what they’re doing,” Noctis said, instantly worrying about making this too personal. But according to the service’s guidelines they were allowed to simply talk so he trusted Prompto to tell him if he was overstepping any lines.

“It’s what I wanted to do all my life so I’m happy I got the opportunity to do it. I mean, it’s a lot of work and most days are super stressful but it’s worth it. Well, that’s what I hope.”

Noctis was surprised at first at how much of his personal life Prompto was willing to share. Hearing him talk about it was interesting and Noctis wanted to know more. Wanted to know what the other loved, what made him smile and what didn’t, every detail no matter how tiny and trivial it seemed.

“It’s gonna be worth it for sure. Can I ask what got you into photography?” Noctis selected his words carefully, not wanting Prompto to feel as if he was obligated to answer.

The other’s smile suddenly vanished, leaving behind a forlorn look on his face. “That’s kind of a long story, you really wanna listen to all that?”

“I do, but you don’t have to explain if you don’t feel like it.” Something told him that he was approaching a rather sensitive topic, which he didn’t expect when he’d asked Prompto about his studies but he was more than willing to listen.

Somehow, Prompto looked lost, staring up at the stars that had begun to shine, littering the dark night sky in small, bright spots. Whatever cheerful mask he’d been putting on was beginning to crumble and Noctis wanted nothing more than to collect the pieces in the palm of his hands.

“You cold?” Noctis then asked upon seeing Prompto shiver a bit and pulling the ends of his sweater over his hands.

“A bit but I really don’t wanna go inside.” Prompto answered, eyes still glued to the stars on the horizon.

Noctis contemplated what they could do for a bit, before remembering something. “There should be a blanket under the table next to you.”

The other reached underneath the small table that stood next to the bench, pulling out a blanket just like Noctis had said. He then unfolded it, carefully placing it around both of their shoulders. “Thought I’d share, otherwise you’re gonna get a cold and it’s gonna be my fault.” He said, looking at Noctis and chuckling lightly as if it wasn’t a big deal at all.

Only now Noctis realized how close they were, entire sides touching, sharing warmth underneath the blanket. He instantly felt safe and comforted just knowing that Prompto was here by his side, inside their little bubble that held nothing else but them and the stars.

It was silent for some time before Prompto began to speak again. “I’ve always liked being able to hold onto memories,” Noctis looked at him, questioning look on his face, “That might not make sense but when I take pictures, I get to do exactly that. I can capture moments and know that they’re gonna stay with me, even when they turn into memories. Especially then.” He stopped speaking, looking down at his hands that were folded in his lap. It was the first time he’d looked away from the dark sky. “I’m scared to forget, I guess.”

“Scared to forget?”

“You know, there’s a lot of things I’d rather forget about but we don’t get to choose what we forget, nobody gets to do that, that’s just the way our brains work. But this way I get to choose which memories I _don’t_ want to forget about. I can make them stay and make sure I remember them and that’s what matters most to me.”

Noctis took pride in knowing that, even though he might not seem like the most talkative individual most of the time, he always had some sort of fitting response or a witty comeback because underneath all that silence he _listened_. There had barely ever been a situation where he hadn’t known what to say but right now he was stunned.

He’d known that he’d wandered off into dangerous territory when he’d insisted that he wanted to hear what Prompto had to say. He also knew that there was a narrow line between the other shutting himself in again and him trusting Noctis but this far, walking that slim path hadn’t been a big challenge. Finding a balance was easy, it was as easy as talking to Prompto.

Still, he’d never in a thousand years thought that Prompto would be willing to share so much. To completely open up to him about what he loved and why. About what he feared and what thoughts scared him, the same that probably kept him up at night, awake underneath a blanket of stars.

“That… makes a lot of sense,” Noctis assured the other, worrying the seam of their blanket between his fingers before he continued, “I guess it really is a bit like freezing time or the closest thing to it we have.”

“Freezing time. I like that,” Prompto replied, obviously pondering about what Noctis had said if the way he was gnawing at his bottom lip was any indication.

The action easily dragged Noctis’ focus down towards the other’s lips. Despite there not being daylight, he could see that they were a shade darker now due to Prompto’s habit on gnawing on them, a harsh red instead of the usual pale pink.

In that moment, Prompto finally tore his gaze away from the view of Insomnia and looked at Noctis instead. He hadn’t noticed that he’d been staring up until Prompto’s eyes searched his and he met them again, feeling himself being fixated by bright blue that was barely dulled, even in darkness. The air around them was electrified yet so, so calm at the same time.

Noctis wanted nothing more than to be reckless just this once in his life.

But he couldn’t. He knew exactly that the life he was living often didn’t tolerate mistakes or spur of the moment decisions. Even with the two of them sitting high above the ground of Insomnia, seemingly closer to the dark sky than to anything else, reality was right there in the middle with them.

For all Noctis knew, Prompto could just be extraordinarily good at his job, a professional that had a significant other waiting for them at home. That thought was an almost ridiculous thing to have while Prompto looked at him like he did right now but Noctis _needed_ it, needed something that bound him to what he thought reality was.

Maybe Prompto realized this as well or maybe he didn’t, but after what felt like hours wrapped into seconds he resorted to wordlessly grabbing Noctis’ hand, stilling it from pulling apart more seams, instead blocking the path of wandering fingers with his own acting as anchors.

They didn’t talk after that. The only thing between them was a shy smile from Noctis that was answered by a gentle squeeze of Prompto’s hand, a promise woven in between their fingers that they didn’t dare speak of.

Looking at the stars had a tendency to make people feel small. Scared of being irrelevant, of not mattering in the big scheme of things.

With each star Noctis counted, he felt taller.

 

***

 

“Alright, spill.”

“What?”

“I’ve never seen you so awfully smiley during training. Not that I’m complaining but usually you look at me as if I’m trying to kill you for real or something.” Gladiolus looked at Noctis knowingly, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth that he was trying to hide.

It had been a few days since his last appointment with Prompto and Noctis was currently caught up in another training session from which Gladiolus had decided to take an impromptu break from.

Noctis hadn’t even noticed that he’d been in a better mood than usually until yesterday when Ignis had pointed out that he was unusually talkative. They’d been on the way to drop Noctis off at university in the morning after an event at the Citadel the night before that had lasted way too long - A combination that would’ve left Noctis frowning and rather snappy any other day – when he’d noticed.

Not only had he left his bed without hitting the snooze button on his alarm clock over and over again, he’d even initiated conversation in the car, an occurrence that had even left someone like Ignis utterly stunned.

Luckily, Ignis had decided not to push his luck and appreciated Noctis’ good mood for what it was without asking any further questions. Obviously, Gladiolus wasn’t the kind of person to just let it go.

“Sometimes I do feel like you’re killing me for real.” Noctis responded lamely.

Gladiolus snorted, “I wouldn’t live long after I did that in case you didn’t know. You’re just dramatic.”

“I’m just valuing my life.”

“As I said. Dramatic.”

Noctis huffed, desperately trying to find a way out of this conversation, “Anyway, are we done?”

“Don’t get your hopes up, we’ve barely made it through half the session. I’m just waiting for you to tell me what happened that made you so tolerable all of a sudden.”

“ _Tolerable?_ ” Noctis exclaimed, before continuing, “Nothing happened, can’t I be in a good mood for no reason?”

“Maybe that cuddling thing Iggy set up for you really _is_ working.” Gladiolus answered, now full-on smirking at him. Noctis knew that he hadn’t done anything but he felt caught.

“I’m sure you would know.”

“Hey, I’m not trying to be mean! If it works for you and helps you in any way that’s great. Looks like we can all profit from it.”

As much as Noctis wanted to deny everything Gladiolus had said and then some, he didn’t. Instead, he pretended to study the wall of weapons across the room, hiding his smile in the process.

 

***

 

Noctis was _tired_.

He’d always been one of those people who seemed to be chronically tired and possessed the ability to sleep anywhere and at any time. This time though, he was positively exhausted and somehow, he suspected that he couldn’t just sleep this one off.

The catalyst to his exhaustion had been his visit to the Citadel yesterday. Ever since he’d moved into his own apartment, he got to enjoy a lot more freedom, something he was truly grateful for. His life still wasn’t even close to the one another person his age would have but he could deal with how it was.

With freedom also came responsibilities, expectations and certain agreements he had to consider. One of those was having dinner with his father once a week.

When he’d been younger, him and his father always had a rather close relationship despite the king barely having time for anything that weren’t royal events. Still, he’d always managed to make time for Noctis.

Of course, that had changed as Noctis grew up, having to tend to his own duties a lot next to attending school and training. He’d seen his father less and less and maybe that was why he noticed him changing so much. There was no denying that the king was growing weaker too quickly for Noctis not to be scared.

With each week he visited the Citadel he got a little more scared of what the future held for him. Of the fact that he knew _exactly_ what it held for him and yet knowing so little at the same time.

He was scared and he was tired and maybe even a bit angry at himself for being the son he was, for worrying too much about himself and his duties he’d been born into and raised with. He knew that he was strong but he was only human and had his limits he’d become a master at ignoring whenever he was pushing them.

Sometimes he succeeded in making himself believe that everything would be okay. Today, he didn’t.

The loud ringing of the doorbell interrupted his thoughts which were beginning to press heavily onto his chest. He stood up from the edge of his bed where he’d been sitting, thankful for the distraction he knew he would need.

Upon opening the front door, he was immediately met by Prompto’s smile which had become so familiar in such a short amount of time, bright enough to cast light onto dark thoughts. Just like last time the other hugged him tightly and this time Noctis didn’t hesitate before wrapping his arms around Prompto as well, latching onto whatever closure was offered to him and accepting it more eagerly than he normally would.

They made their way to the living room and quickly agreed on resuming the level of the game they’d played back when Prompto had first come over. Prompto was chipper as ever, effortlessly beginning to make conversation to which Noctis tried to reply in the same fashion but the way Prompto’s eyes had a concerned look in them told him that he didn’t quite succeed.

“What’s wrong?” Noctis hated being the cause of Prompto sounding so worried.

“I’m just tired. Didn’t sleep well last night.” It was only half-true but he hoped that it sounded convincing enough for Prompto to let it go.

“Yeah, I can see that. You wanna go lie down for a bit? We can continue this later if you feel up for it then,” The other responded, gently rubbing Noctis’ shoulder.

Lying down _did_ sound nice but he didn’t want to be impolite and just disappear while Prompto was still here.

“It’s fine, I’d rather stay here with you.”

“Don’t be stupid, I’ll come with you of course!” Prompto looked surprised and Noctis wondered why until it dawned on him, “It’s no big deal, really. It’s what I do.”

Somehow, he’d completely forgotten the fact that this was still a professional cuddling service Ignis had hired for him which offered more than sitting next to each other. After his last appointment Noctis had stopped seeing all of this as a simple service and instead started seeing Prompto as more of a friend – potentially more, though that was wishful thinking – a realization that only hit him now.

He should say no for his own sake because he was obviously just a regular client to Prompto. _This was what he did_ , he’d even said it himself.

He should say no but as much as he disliked the thought of setting himself up for disappointment, he despised the thought of being alone more. He was still scared and tired and he’d allow himself to be weak just this once.

“Okay.”

Prompto squeezed his shoulder one last time before he stood up and smiling down at Noctis. “Lead the way, then!”

They walked over to Noctis’ bedroom, Prompto following closely. Inside, it was darker than in the rest of the apartment due to the blinds being drawn, only letting a small amount of whatever light remained outside filter through. With the sun setting, it would be even darker eventually but Noctis didn’t mind. At least this way Prompto was less likely to see the red that stained his cheeks at the prospect of, well, cuddling? Noctis didn’t know what to expect and that made his nerves flare up almost as much as they had before the first time Prompto had come over.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Get comfy!” Prompto exclaimed, gesturing to the bed and chuckling lightly. Suddenly, Noctis couldn’t help but be thankful to him for being so nonchalantly and professional about it, for making Noctis forget about how awkward and new this was for him.

So he did what had been asked of him and laid down like he normally would, lying on his side and scooting a bit towards the edge of the bed so there would be enough room for Prompto.

The other didn’t hesitate for a second before practically flopping down next to Noctis, lying down so they were facing each other and leaving a little bit of space between them, probably not wanting to overwhelm him. Noctis appreciated this at first but he also missed the hand that had been rubbing his shoulder gently a few minutes ago, the same one that had held his so firmly last week.

Blond hair fanned out on black pillowcases and Noctis caught himself thinking that he could get used to this, that he liked the contrast of light and dark maybe a little too much.

“Alright, now tell me what’s really bothering you.”

Noctis wanted to tell him, he did but the more rational part of his brain told him not to do it. Talking about himself, about struggling with the life he’d been given and all the burdens it brought with it would mean letting Prompto know more about royal affairs and he knew it was forbidden and dangerous.

It was dangerous but some part of him was willing to take that risk. Prompto wasn’t just anyone, after all. Somehow he’d managed to come into Noctis’ life and broke down all the walls around him as if they were glass. Some would call it playing with fire but flames never scared him.

“Remember when you told me that you’re scared to forget?” Prompto nodded at him, pillow rustling beneath his head, before Noctis continued, “I’m not afraid to forget the past, I guess I’m more scared of the future.”

“The future?” Prompto asked, looking confused.

“Yeah, it’s… I’d like for things to be different sometimes.”

“But why? You’re not that unfortunate with your life if you ask me.”

Noctis felt the urge to sigh. Of course, others would barely understand why he’d wish for something different. He was always portrayed as the young, attractive, rich prince that had everything, but the real thing was so very far from that fairytale the common citizen got to see.

He also felt ungrateful and stupid while complaining about all that. Thousands of people weren’t nearly as fortunate as him and would probably give everything they had to be. But that thought didn’t even manage to scratch the surface of how he felt most days.

“No, I’m not, don’t get me wrong. It’s just a bit much sometimes. Or not enough. I don’t know.”

Prompto scooted a bit closer, laying his head down again on the edge of Noctis’ pillow this time. When looking into his bright blue eyes that were so much easier to get lost in now, Noctis felt that warm fluttery feeling in his stomach again, which somehow didn’t match the mood of the conversation at all. But he didn’t mind.

“You gotta explain a bit more than that,” Prompto grinned, “If you want to, that is. We can also just take a nap if you’d rather do that.”

“Sometimes I get reminded of what I’ll have to do, who I’ll have to be and it’s intimidating, to say the least. I can’t imagine myself being the person who’s gonna have to lead a kingdom one day. It could be tomorrow, it could be in ten years but when the time comes, I’ll have to be ready.”

Prompto looked at him understandingly. There was an absence of pity in his eyes that made Noctis feel so much better because that was the last thing he wanted. It would make him feel weak and fragile and couldn’t afford that.

“This probably isn’t any help at all but I’m glad that you’ll be my king,” The other responded, smiling reassuringly, “I’ve honestly never thought about it like this. You know, most people would love to take your place but then again, they only see what you want them to.”

“I’d swap my life with theirs in a heartbeat, believe me,” Noctis chuckled, “Being royalty does have its perks but most of the time it feels rather lonely.”

After that, Prompto was quiet for a little while, making Noctis worry about having said something wrong or if he should just stop talking about his private life at all. He wasn’t supposed to anyway.

Just when Noctis wanted to ask whether he was alright, Prompto scooted closer once more, placing his arm around Noctis’ waist with a kind of hesitance he wouldn’t have expected of the other. He could feel Prompto’s fingers ghosting over his back, gently trailing up and down his spine, sometimes brushing over that scar Noctis had from a childhood accident. It was something he was insecure about and if it was any other person touching him he’d have shoved their hand away long ago. It wasn’t any other person though, it was Prompto and the simple feeling of him being there made Noctis feel calmer than he’d been in a long time.

“I know what that’s like. Being alone, I mean.” Prompto said quietly, forehead almost touching Noctis’ own.

“You do?”

“Yeah, I was alone a lot as a child. My parents travelled all the time and I had to learn to look after myself a lot sooner than other people would.”

Noctis had to force himself not to slip off to sleep with the sensation of fingertips drumming between his shoulderblades. “Is that also why you do this? This job?” He asked, hoping the question wasn’t too direct. Prompto had only started opening up about his personal life – He didn’t want to scare him off already.

“It is. Well, theres other reasons of course but it really does help me cope. I like talking to people and hearing what they have to say never fails to take my mind off things that bother me. I’ve heard so many different stories it’s almost impossible to only think about my own,” Prompto explained, looking deep in thought for a few seconds before focusing on Noctis again, “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Why did someone like you hire me? You probably have all sorts of people that look after you, so why me?” He then asked, sounding curious.

“I didn’t hire you, for starters. I didn’t even want to at first, believe it or not,” Noctis said, chuckling at the memory of him being so put off by the simple idea of a service like this, “Ignis, my advisor, actually came up with it. Said it would be beneficial and all that.”

“And? Is it?”

“Would I still be here if it wasn’t?”

The doubts Prompto’s face had been clouded over with washed away quickly, replaced by his usual bright smile that Noctis was definitely _still not_ used to, “I’ll take that as a compliment then.”

Noctis nudged the other’s forehead playfully with his own, which in return made them both laugh and loosened the serious atmosphere up a little. “You better, not every day I give out compliments like that.”

“A compliment from royalty? And a _rare_ one at that? Today must be my lucky day!”

“Wonder if you could get any luckier today.” Noctis then said, adding a mischievous wink for good measure.

The action had the desired effect and Prompto groaned loudly, followed by more laughter. “That was _terrible_. You just ruined everything.”

“Was there something to ruin in the first place?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Please.” Noctis answered, saccharine voice feeling unfamiliar on his tongue.

He didn’t miss the way Prompto licked his lips or the way his gaze trailed down to Noctis’ own. He might have imagined that very action happening many times in the past but right now, it was as real as could be.

There was a thought nagging at the back of his mind, one that was telling him that he should know better than to take unnecessary risks. It was there and it made doubts flare up but it was also quiet enough that he could just put it back and lock it up.

When he’d sat outside with Prompto last time, he’d thought about lots of things but the most prominent one had been the wish to be reckless once in his life where there was no place for such a thing to be tolerated. However, right now he couldn’t care less about what was acceptable or expected of him and what wasn’t, this right here was his _once_ , consequences be damned.

Slowly, he began closing the gap between them that had barely been there at all, closing his eyes as soon as their lips met. Due to them both lying down the angle was off and their noses kept bumping which made the kiss more awkward than anything else. Noctis had always hoped that his first kiss would be all magical and fireworks and even though that was so very far from reality, he discovered that he might actually like the real thing a lot more.

There was something addicting to this imperfection.

Prompto carefully pulled away and Noctis already wanted to start apologizing when he saw the other lean over him, supporting himself with one arm on each side of Noctis’ upper body. Through his lidded eyes he caught the faintest hint of a familiar smile before Prompto kissed him once more.

The only coherent thought he could form as his head was being pressed down into the pillow was how much better, how _good_ it was.

The way Prompto kissed fit him perfectly, playfully and challenging, gently nibbling at Noctis’ bottom lip before pulling on it a bit, pressing their lips together with a smile when he felt Noctis gasp quietly.

After some time, Noctis felt the urge to do something else with his hands besides letting them grasp and curl into his sheets. He ended up placing one of them in Prompto’s hair, letting nervous fingers hold onto soft blond strands instead, mindful not to pull on them. With the other he held onto Prompto’s shoulder, grounding and stabilizing himself with the simple touch.

They kissed like that for a while, both getting used to each other before Prompto grew bolder, using the next one of Noctis’ little gasps as an opportunity to slip his tongue into the other’s mouth.

Noctis froze for a few seconds at the new sensation, not really knowing what to do and afraid to mess up. He found himself grasping Prompto’s hair and shoulder tighter but the other didn’t seem to mind at all, just keeping on kissing him lazily. Maybe that’s what gave him enough confidence to reciprocate at last and he began to chase Prompto’s tongue with his own, feeling himself relax.

Slowly but surely Noctis lost himself in the new feeling of getting kissed so deeply, Prompto hovering over him, his taste on Noctis’ tongue. He felt so safe and so incredibly good lying underneath Prompto, he was sure he’d never get enough of it.

He’d gotten used to their rhythm when suddenly Prompto decided to lightly suck on his tongue, making him moan and bury his nails deep into Prompto’s hair before blushing furiously one second later.

Prompto then pulled away again, beginning to place little kisses and bites up Noctis’ jaw and down his neck, blowing cool air on the glistening, fading marks and making Noctis shiver from the feeling of it. When Noctis tilted his head to the side as a silent demand for more, the other just placed one last kiss on his neck, making goosebumps rise on his skin with a breathy chuckle before sitting up again, smiling down at Noctis.

Noctis was sure that he must’ve looked utterly dishevelled and flushed which would explain the smirk Prompto wore.

“That was _definitely_ unprofessional,” Prompto laughed.

“Please keep being as unprofessional as you want to.” Noctis answered, trying not to sound as breathless as he really was.

“Woah, you’re not firing me for this?”

“Now that I think about it I might have to,” Noctis began, having mastered the serious look on his face, “You working for me might not be the best beginning of a relationship.”

It was Prompto’s turn to blush this time, looking down at his hands in a manner that was almost shy. “I can live with that.”

They were quiet for a while after that, both just smiling at each other when Noctis suddenly started laughing out of nowhere.

“What’s so funny?”

“I just remembered that Iggy technically _paid_ for this.”

**Author's Note:**

> come talk to me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/scylaire)!


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